LIS 445 - Reviewing the Reviews SNAKES by Nic Bishop Diane Miller-DeSoto (*Critique below chart)

Cover
Front matter

Physical layout

Eye-catching, colorful, clear, detailed photograph

uncluttered with large simple title &
author
Title page w/ detailed, color photo, title, author
verso page w/ acknowledgements, publication information, photo magnification note, photo captions
for verso page photo & title page photo
Photographs taking up either an entire page or entire spread, including a four-page foldout
different colored text to contrast well on different colored pages
key ideas set out in larger, different color than the rest of the page to stand out even more
photo captions are italicized
Cover to cover = 27 eye-catching, colorful, clear, detailed photographs
Describes snake behaviors, snake anatomy, snake appreciation & respect
Captions are full sentences that include amount of enlargement, if any, in parentheses
Speaks at a level that will interest & educate juveniles & adults alike; snake lovers or not
Two page spread detailing concerns & issues of photographing snakes, including authors personal
experiences
Front flap:
Back flap:
o summarizes book
o gives more detailed author/photographer bio
o introduces
o introduces his animal series
o provides short quotes from reviews of animal series from
author/photographer
Booklist, Kirkus, and SLJ
o gives publisher & printer information
No mention

MyImages
Assessment
Text usage
Back matter
Jacket flaps

Cover & Front

Matter
Physical layout
Images
Text Usage
Back matter

Jacket flaps
Cover & Front
Matter
Physical layout

topic sentences for each spread appear in a larger font and a contrasting color
amazing photographs
gorgeous colors
clarity that allows details
It will take a while for readers to tear themselves away from the images
describes snake behavior, physiology, and eating habits.
In a riveting note at the end of the book, Bishop reveals the lengths he went to to get these perfect
shots .
No mention
No mention

Images

text, set either on different colored pages or overlaid on photo backgrounds

captions
photographs, a mix of full-page and spreads
foldout
nearly two dozen close-ups
a mix of full-page and spreads
impressive
well-composed
expertly lighted

picture
four-page
sharply focused
especially

good
lucid text
degree of magnification employed (of photos) is indicated
describes basic anatomy; major physical characteristics common to all snakes; distinctive
characteristics of more than a dozen world species; locomotion; diet; hunting and feeding methods;
defense mechanisms; and egg-laying and birth of young.
Picture captions identify the species depicted & offer additional information on characteristics
Back matter
An afterword describes some of the difficulties Bishop encountered in photographing his subjects.
Jacket flaps
No mention
*Both reviews are useful and describe the photography well, though neither of the professional reviews mentions the cover,
front matter, or jacket flaps. I conclude that an evaluator can get more information about the physical layout and the text from the
School Library Journal review as it is more detailed and complete.
Text usage